Ranking Where College Grads Move for Jobs
Today, the American Institute for Economic Research ranked the American cities that are most attractive to young college graduates, based on eight economic and quality-of-life factors.
In its first annual Employment Destinations Index, AIER research uncovered the eight factors that influenced migration patterns of college grads ages 22-35 among 260 metro areas, large and small. The cities that ranked highest in each size category were Washington, D.C.; the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut area; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Iowa City, Iowa. (See full list below)
The most important factors were, in descending order:
1. A high density of people with a college degree
2. A low unemployment rate
3. The ability to get around without a car
Other factors in the Employment Destinations Index included bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents, as well as earning power, rents, competition for jobs, and ethnic and racial diversity.
“After making the economic decision to move, the young and educated are looking for places where they can have a meaningful work/life balance,” said Rosalind Greenstein, director of research and education at AIER.
The top-ranked major metropolitan area was Washington, which in addition to a wealth of government, professional and technical jobs, features an attractive mix of walking, biking and public transportation for its highly educated populace.
The highest ranking midsize area was Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, where old industrial buildings now serve as work and living spaces in a robust service economy, located an hour and a half from New York City by train.
The top small metro area was beautiful, bikeable Ann Arbor, where the university helped diversify the workforce into high-tech industries as the auto industry faded.
And among the smallest metros, Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, triumphed on the strength of a growing technology corridor, low rents, lots of restaurants and bars, as well as an increasingly diverse population.
“With the Employment Destinations Index, we identify what captures young people’s imagination and entices them to test the waters in cities large and small,” Greenstein said.
The top metro areas for job seekers in each category are, in descending order:
Major metros (1 million and more residents):
1. Washington
2. San Francisco
3. Boston
4. San Jose, California
5. New York
6. Seattle
7. Denver
8. Austin, Texas
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul
10. Raleigh, North Carolina
11. Baltimore
12. Columbus, Ohio
13. Hartford, Connecticut
14. Chicago
15. Pittsburgh
Midsize metros (500,000-999,999):
1. Bridgeport, Connecticut
2. Honolulu, Hawaii
3. Provo, Utah
4. Albany, New York
5. Portland, Maine
6. Des Moines, Iowa
7. Omaha, Nebraska
8. New Haven, Connecticut
9. Colorado Springs, Colorado
10. Charleston, South Carolina
11. Worcester, Massachusetts
12. Grand Rapids, Michigan
13. Syracuse, New York
14. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
15. Ogden, Utah
Small metros (250,000-499,999):
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan
2. Fort Collins, Colorado
3. Gainesville, Florida
4. Lincoln, Nebraska
5. Trenton, New Jersey
6. Santa Cruz, California
7. San Luis Obispo, California
8. Bremerton, Washington
9. Manchester, New Hampshire
10. Santa Barbara, California
11. Fayetteville, Arkansas
12. Norwich, Connecticut
13. Huntsville, Alabama
14. Anchorage, Alaska
15. Wilmington, North Carolina
Smallest metros (Below 250,000):
1. Iowa City, Iowa
2. Ithaca, New York
3. Lawrence, Kansas
4. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
5. Bloomington, Indiana
6. Columbia, Missouri
7. Bloomington, Illinois
8. Burlington, Vermont
9. State College, Pennsylvania
10. College Station, Texas
11. Lafayette, Indiana
12. Barnstable, Massachusetts
13. Ocean City, New Jersey
14. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
15. Santa Fe, New Mexico
16. Auburn, Alabama
17. Flagstaff, Arizona
18. Pittsfield, Massachusetts
19. Springfield, Illinois
20. Blacksburg, Virginia
21. Bismarck, North Dakota
22. Bend, Oregon
23. Bellingham, Washington
24. Morgantown, West Virginia
25. La Crosse, Wisconsin
26. Midland, Texas
27. Eau Claire, Wisconsin
28. Napa, California
29. Oshkosh, Wisconsin
30. St. George, Utah
To view the detailed list of the 75 best metro areas for job seekers, and how they performed in each of the eight factors, see the brochure at www.aier.org/edi.
